Roller skate



April 3, 1951 c. E. swENssoN 2,5473

ROLLER SKATE Filed Sept. 6, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l 75, @Q75 AY/51a?Svensson BY ,4Z 4M, M

Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER SKATE CarlEinar swe'nsson, Buffalo, N.A Y. Application September 6, 1946, Seria!No., 695,118Y

(-Cl. Z130-11.2.8)

1.3 claims.

This invention relates .to roller skates, and. particularly to thoseused by exhibition and gure skaters- Sueh skates should be. es light inWeight as possible, consistent with. rigidity and strength, but thetrucks thereof Should be tiltahle laterally of the skate as Well asforwardly and rearwardly.

An oloieot of the invention is to provide on improved skate which may besuccessfully Worn by exhibition, dance and ,ngure skaters; with whichmaximum lfreedom in and ease of skating S Possible; With which theskaters may easily execute all desire-d skating movement ease andsafety; which will be light .in Weight and well balanced; which willhave adequate strength to resist the stresses imparted to skates in ellskating operations; with which the rocking angle of the trucks may beselectively varied.; with which any selected rocking angle may be.mailitained as the compression on the cushions is varied; With whichdanger o f interference between the roller Wheels on different feet isreduced to a minimum; with which the Wheels on each shaft may berelatively close so as to `extend .a minimum distance sidewise from theshoes; with which the trucks will be reslillltly urged into normalpositions when released vafter being turned; and which will be simplerand A,nexpensive in construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplemounting of the wheels on the aXle; with which the rolling Wheels vI naybe replaced easily Iwhen worn; and AWith which bearing looseness lmay bereduced to a minimum.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription of some embodiments of the invention, and the novel,features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter connection withthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, ,sectional elevation `of a skate constructedin accordance With this invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom planof the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the same, the sectionbeing taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Fig..2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation .similar to that of Fig. 3 butillustrating a modified construction;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan, :similar to aisection taken approximatelyalong the line ,5-.7- 5 of Fig. :3 but illustrating .a modicationthereof;

Fig. 6 `is a bottom, sectional `plani,cor-r@Spinni-V ine t0 one tekenapproximately alone zthe in e 6-.16 of iFig. -3 but looking iintlie.idllodtion Q f A:the

2 arrow .and representing the embodiment shown in Fig. 5,;

lille.. 7 is a longitudinal, `sectional elevation through a skate alsoconstructed in accordance with this invention, and representing anotherembodiment thereof and Fig. 8 is a transverse, sectional elevation o fthe same, the section vbeine taken approximately sione .the line .8i-.8or" Fis,- '.1-

lri the embodiment of .the invention illustrated in Fies.- l .to 3 the.improved .Skate ,is Shown as attached to a shoe l, having e sole 2 anda heel 3. T .e device includes a flat mei'lal sole plate 4 'Whlhprovided vv ith apertures by which it niet. he riveted or Screwed orbolted to the bottoni oi the v,shoe any suitable manner. and this plate4 is .curved out-line to he `similar in Shape to that of the peripheryof the ,sole and heel of the shoe, but ,s iiehtlysinaller. .osshown in.Figi 2. The opposite side edges 9i the plete 4, .in the portion whichis beneath the arch of the shoeI hes its edge Portions flanged upwardlyes et 5 so as to nt eeainst the bottom of the shoesole along the .archend entirely to the heel. The vflanges .5 tnus Serve es eroh .supportfor the shoe end also stiien the plate tag;ainst .flexing the portionthereof intermediate the front and rear parts thereof.

A cast-ing 6 is secured,l such as by rivets l"l, to the bottom of thesole -plate 4 beneath vthe heel 3, and another casting 8 is ralsosecured as 'by rivets 9 to the underface of the plate 4 in the portion'sbeneath the ball of the foot. The plate 4 vand castings .B and 8 maycollectively be`considered as a member that is attached'toethe shoesole. A'truck Adesignated Vgenerally at I0 is disposed `b.eneath thecasting l. This truck l0 has a bodywitha transyerse .passage l-I inWhich Iis disposed .axle .rod i2 .that extends sidewise in bilill,diietloll 'beyond lihe -zt-Iuck body .and rotatably :mounts '3- Thetruck body is provided wither-torti. diy extending y.platform iiihav-.ineen aperture i.. oniiaoe toieoethereof, and .a screw -i .passesupwardly .through the aperture iiendis threaded et its upper end into athreaded-.passage I i Ltheoesting 61 The sorew Iii has ahead i81provided with e partially spherical underface i9, which nts in acorresponde ing concave seat in the aperture VI 5, `so Vas uto ,havesomething oie bell end socket Contact between the spneneerpart oftneheed `it ang ,the platfform at aperture |5. The aperture |L51Yhas`alarger diameter thans-the diameter of the shank of :screw |16, sothatthe plate -Hl may rock on the V:head :of the screw Ato ya limitedextent.

Disposed on the platform I6 is a shallow cup 20 which has a slightrecess on its upper face that receives a resilient cushion 2|, such asof soft, elastic rubber. This cushion 2| has a passage from end face toend face through which the shank of screw I6 passes. An inverted butsimilar cup 22 is provided on the screw I6 and abutting the other orupper end of cushion 2 I, so that the ends of the cushion 2| will bereceived in the cups 2|] and 22. A lock nut 23 may be threaded on thescrew I6 above the cup 22 and which, when tightened against the casting6, serves to prevent unintentional turning of the screw I6, thus holdingit in adjusted positions. The truck also has a rearwardly extending arm24, and another screw 25 is threaded upwardly through the arm 24. Theupper end of the screw 25 terminates in a ball-like head 26, and locknuts 21 on the screw 25 engage with opposite faces of the arm 24 toprevent unintentional rotation of the screw 25 in arm 24. The casting 6is provided in its underface, but in alignment with the head 26, witharecess 28 having threaded side walls, and an inverted cup 29 is threadedinto this recess 28 to selected extents.

The cup 29 has its bottom wall uppermost, and the inside face of theclosed end of the cup has a ball-like seat against which the head 26abuts, so as to provide a universal rocking contact between the ball 26and the closed end of the cup 21. The truck is thus supported on thecasting 6 by the screw I6 and cushion 2|, but has a rocking contact withscrew 25. The truck can rock and turn sidewise to a limited extent aspermitted by the rocking of the head of the screw in the aperture I5 ofthe platform, and as permitted by the cushion 2|, during which the screw25 rocks in the cup 21. A line 30 through the center of the head 26 andthe seat in the aperture I5 'indicates what may be called the rockingangle. This rocking angle is the angle or line about which the truck mayrock as the skate is used, and may vary considerably to suit theindividual tastes of the skater, but is preferably around 45 to 55 tothe horizontal.

, A similar truck is provided beneath the casting 8 but turned around sothat the platform I4 extends toward the rear truck. It is to beunderstood that in the rear truck the platform I4 preferably extendsforwardly toward the forward truck. The construction of the forwardtruck is similar to that for the rear truck, and the corresponding partshave corresponding reference characters.

A channel-shaped strip 3| is fitted over the castings 6 and 8 andextends between them, with the open face of the channel towards theplate 4. This channel 3| extends along each casting '6 or 8 beyond thelock nut 23, and its forward end is turned upwardly and riveted to thesole plate by a rivet 32. Its rear edge is similarly flanged upwardlyand attached to plate 4. The bottom of the channel which abuts againstthe castings 6 and 8 is apertured to clear the recesses 28, and alsoapertured to pass the screws I6. The sides of channel 3| abut the bottomface of plate 4 and its side edges and end are flanged and rivetedthereto to reinforce it. This channel 3| thus extends between thecastings 6 and 8 and provides for plate 4 a stiff reinforcement whichgives maximum rigidity, with lightness in weight, for the base which isattached to the shoe sole, and because of engagement of 4 its side wallswith plate 4, the channel resists transverse flexing of the plate 4.

By turning the screw I6 in each truck, the compression on the cushion 2|of that truck may be varied, and thus the resistance to turning andsidewise rocking of that truck may be varied. Whenever the screw I6 isshifted endwise in this manner, and for this purpose, one may also turnthe screw 25 in the same truck, and also turn the cup 29 in its recess,so that the position of the rocking fulcrum at the ball-head 26 may beshifted toward and from the plate 4 to approximately the same extent asthe movement of the ball head I9 on the screw I6. Thus even though thecushion 2| is compressed or relaxed, the saine angle of rockingrepresented by the line 30 may be maintained, or it may be varied to alimited extent, as desired.

In Fig. 4 the construction is the same as that in Figs. 1 to 3 exceptthat the cushion 2| of Figs. 1 to 3 is replaced by a volute spring 33with its larger base downwardly and received on the platform I4. Thedash lines in Fig. 4 illustrate possible rocking positions of the wheelsand truck while the skate is in use, and since the smaller end of thespring 33 is uppermost, the wheels |3 can be positioned closer togetherbeneath the sole and still give maximum rocking, relatively to the shoe,since the wheels can rock closer to the center` vertical axis of thetruck when the smaller end of the cushion is uppermost. This makes itpossible to have the wheels I3 close together and not extend as far fromthe sides of the shoe as has heretofore been required. This reduces thedanger of one bumping the wheels on the inside Vof one skate against thecorresponding inside wheels on the other skate.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to3 except that the cushion 34 which corresponds to the cushion 2| ofFigs. 1 to 3, is square or non-circular in transverse cross section, andreceived at its ends in correspondingly shaped, non-circular recesses inthe cups 26 and 22. The lower cup 20 is similarly shaped and received ina correspondingly shaped shallow recess in the platform I4. The uppercup 22 has a laterally extending arm 35 which extends toward the screw25 and has a slot 36 which straddles that screw, as shown in Fig. 6.This prevents rotation of the cup 22. Since the upper cup 22 is heldagainst turning and it, in turn, prevents rotation of the upper end ofthe soft, elastic cushion 34, and the lower end of the cushion is alsoheld against turning by cup 2|] and platform I4, it follows that thetruck is free to twist and rock sidewise to a limited extent against theresistance of the elastic cushion. As soon as the truck is released,after it has been twisted, the tortional stresses in the cushion 34 willurge the truck back into its normal, straight forward position shown inthe drawings.

In Figs. '1 and 8 another modification is illustrated in which the soleplate 38 is provided on a shoe from which the heel has been removed,

' and accordingly the side edges of the plate 38 are turned upwardly toform flanges 39 that t the arch of the sole 2 of the shoe from the ballof the foot to the rear of the heel space and around the rear of theheel space, thus replacing the heel and lightening the weight of theshoe. The side edges of the plate 38 forwardly of the ilanges 39 areflanged downwardly as at 40 to provide side flanges that stiffen theforward end of the plate 38 against transverse flexing.

The construction is otherwise similar to that described in connectionwith Figs. 1 to 3, except that the screws it are disposed at an acuteangle to thevertical, and the platform lil of each truck is alsoinclined and at an acute angle to the arm 25. The screws 25 remainvertical. The channel 3| is replaced by a tube il having its end pinchedtogether, and the flat ends apertured to receive the screws Iii. Thetube il thus provides a stiffening element connecting the forward andrearward castings 6 and 8, and which further resists lateral flexing ofthe sole plate 3B in the portion between the two trucks. The sole plate38 may be secured to the shoe by bolts, screws or rivets 42, see Fig. 8.

The screws 25, in all of the embodiments of the invention, may beprovided with transverse slots i3 so that they may be turned foradjustment by inserting a screw driver in the slot 43 and turning it.Similarly the sole plate ll of Figs. 1 to 3` may have downwardly turnedside flanges lill at the forward part the same as shown i forFigs. 7 and8.

In Fig. 8 l have shown a particular mounting for the wheels i3 on theaxle rod l2. The truck It! has a tubular body with a passage @il throughwhich the axle l2 is forced. The axle l2 may have longitudinallyextending, fluted ribs 45 which bite into the wall of the passage i4 asthe axle rod is driven into the passage, and these flutes l5 serve tohold the axle l2 against rotation in passage Ml. Each wheel is formed ofa body of suitable material having a recess 45 extending from its insideface and which slidingly receives, with a sliding fit, the outer ring orrace of a ball-bearing 4.?. The inner ring or race of that bearing has aslide t with the projecting end of the axle l2, and the inner ring isconfined against the end of the tubular part of the truck by a nut 48which is threaded on the end of the axle. The rear or inside, recessedface of each wheel I3 carries an annular plate i9 countersunk therein,but removable, and which overhangs the recess i6 slightly so as to abutagainst the inside end face of the outer ring of the bearing 4l. Studs50 welded to plate t9 extend through passages in the wheel I3 and havenuts 5l thereon so as to clamp the wheel to the plate 49 and against thebearing lll. The nuts 5i of thev studs 5D are countersunk in the outerface of the wheel. Thus to remove any wheel for repair or replacement,one merely removes the nuts 5I in that wheel, which allows the wheel tobe slid off from its bearing 4l, and a new wheel may then be replaced onthe bearing and secured thereon by reapplying the nuts 5|. The wheelvprovides a covering for the nut 48. Because of this the wheels presentan attractive appearance and may be easily and quickly replaced, withYmerely the use of a screw driver.

It will be noted, in all embodiments of the invention, that whenever thecompression on the cushion 2l, 33, or 3d is varied, it changes therocking angle, and if one desires to keep the same rocking angle, thescrew and cup 29 must be also adjusted. One may vary the compression Aonthe cushion, depending on personal choice, the `weight of the skater,the speed, the sharpness of turning, or on other factors.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials andarrangements of parts, 'which have been herein described and illustratedorder to explain the nature of the invention, 'may be made by thoseskilled in the art within the in the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A roller skate comprising a sole plate, a pair ofv wheel hangersbeneath and spaced apart along said plate, each hanger carrying an axleand having an apertured platform extending to one side of said axle, andan arm to the other side of the axle, a compression cushion disposedbetween said platform and said sole plate, a screw passing through anaperture in said platform and having a. threaded connection to said soleplate, theA outer end of said screw having a head bearing rockablyagainst saidplatform, so as to clamp. said cushion between the platformand sole plate under pressure determined by the cornpression of saidcushion, a rod extending transversely through said arm and adjustablelengthwise through said arm, the upper end of said rod carryingapartially spherical head, a seat for said head carried by said plate,whereby the pressure on said cushion may be varied while maintaining thesamev rocking angle of the hanger, and roller wheels carried by saidaxles.

2'..4 The skate substantially as set forth in claim l in which saidcushion element is a volute spring with its base lowermost and restingon said platform, whereby the roller wheels may be placed closelytogether and.V give maximum lateral rocking range.

3. A roller skate comprising a metal sole plate of uniform thickness forattachment to a shoe minus a heel but having an arch tting portion, saidplate having its marginal portion turned upwardly along its rear edge toa height corresponding to that of the missing heel, and also turnedupwardly along its side edges from said rear edge forwardly and alongsaid arch fitting portion, but decreasing in height along the archfitting portion, whereby when the plate is secured to the sole of ashoe, it provides the heel and supports the arch of the shoe so as togive lightness and a rigid support for the shoe, and roller elementssecured tothe lower face of said plate.

4. A roller skate comprising a metal sole plate of uniform` thicknessfor attachment to a shoe minus a heel but having an arch fittingportion, said plate having its marginal portion turned upwardly alongits rear edge to a heighth corresponding to that of the missing heel,and alsoY lightness and a rigid support for the shoe, and

roller elements secured to the lower face of said plate, the sidemarginal edges of said plate forwardly of the arch fitting portion beingi'ianged downwardly to impart rigidity to the forward part of the plate.

5. A roller skate for attachment to a shoe having an arch portion and asole, which comprises a metal sole plate of uniform thickness having anoutline generally that of the sole of the shoe to which it isl to beattached, the side edges of said plate being flanged upwardly along theportion aligned with the arch portion of said shoe to which it is to beattached, and flanged downwardly forwardly of said arch portion of saidshoe, and rolling elements secured to said plate in tandem arrangementforwardly and rearwardly.

6. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal, a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and havinganapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it, and terminating at its upper end in a somewhatballlike head, said casting above it having a seat fitting said head andadjustable toward and from said head, and roller wheels carried by eachof said axles.

7. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal, a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and having anapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it and terminating at its upper end in a somewhat balllikehead, said casting above it having a seat fitting said head, and rollerwheels carried by each of said axles, each of said rods being adjustableendwise of itself on said arm which carries it.

8. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal, a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and having anapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it and terminating at its upper end in a somewhat balllikehead, said casting above it having a seat tting said head and adjustabletoward and from said head, roller wheels carried by each of said axles,and a tubular brace extending between said castings and secured theretoby said screws.

9. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal. a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and having anapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it, an abutment carried by each casting in approximatealignment with the adjacent rod, and adjustable towards and from therod, said abutment and adjacent rod end having ball and socket contactto provide a limited rocking action, and roller wheels carried by eachof said axles.

10. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal, a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and having anapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it, an abutment carried by each casting in approximatealignment with the adjacent rod, and adjustable towards and from therod, said abutment and adjacent rod end having ball and socket contactto provide a limited rocking action, and roller Wheels carried by eachof said axles, each of said rods being adjustable endwise of itself onsaid arm which carries it.

11. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising asole plate of sheet metal, a pair of base castings secured to theunderface of said plate in spaced relation lengthwise of the plate, ahanger mounting an axle disposed beneath each casting and having anapertured platform at one side of the axle and an arm at the oppositeside, an elastic cushion disposed on the upper face of each platform,and having a longitudinally extending passage, a screw passing looselyand upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said passagein said cushion, and threaded into the casting immediately above it,said screw having a head with a rockable bearing in said platform, a rodcarried by each hanger arm extending upwardly therefrom towards thecasting above it, an abutment carried by each casting in approximatealignment with the adjacent rod, and adjustable towards and from therod, said abutment and adjacent rod end having ball and socket contactto provide a limited rocking action, roller wheels carried by each ofsaid axles, a channel shaped strip tted over said castings in straddlingrelation and having apertures through which said screws pass into saidcastings, so as to be clamped to the castings by said cushions.

12. The skate substantially as set forth in claim 9, in which each ofsaid cushions has noncircular ends, one end secured against turningabout its axis, on its platform, and the other against turning, aboutits axis, on its platform.

13. A roller skate comprising a member formed for attachment to a shoesole, and a pair of trucks disposed beneath each plate in spacedrelation to each other in a direction lengthwise of the plate, eachtruck including a body having i i '.9 axle extensions from each side, aroller wheel mounted on each extension, said body having an apertured.platform extending from one side thereof and an arm from the other side,ascrew passing loosely through an aperture in said platform, with itshead rocking against said platform and threaded into said member,another screw threaded through said arm toward said member and havinguniversal rocking bearing on said member, a cushion of soft, elasticmaterial disposed between said platform and member, anchored to theplatform against relative rotation thereon, an abutment element on saidscrew and non-rotatably secured to the opposite end of said cushion, andclamped against said member by tightening of said first screw, saidelement being nonrotatably anchored relatively to said member, wherebywhen either of said trucks is rotated beneath said member, the cushionwill be given a torsional twist that will urge the truck back intoinitial position when it is released from its rotating forces.

i4. A roller skate comprising a member formed for attachment to a shoesole, and a pair of trucks disposed beneath each plate in spacedrelation to each other in a direction lengthwise of the plate, eachtruck including a body having axle extensions from each side, a rollerwheel mounted on each extension, said body having an apertured platformextending from one side thereof and an arm from the other side, a screwpassing loosely through an aperture in said pla"- form, with its headrocking against said platform, and threaded into said member, anotherscrew threaded through said arm toward said member and having auniversal Arocking bearing on rsaid member, the part of said memberwhich contacts with said another screw being adjustable towards and fromthat screw in a direction endwise thereof, whereby the rocking seat onthe end of said another screw may be shifted towards and away from saidmember by similar adjustments of said another screw in said arm and saidpart on said member, a cushion of soft, elastic material clamped undervariable stress between said platform and said member by adjustment ofsaid first mentioned screw into and out of said member.

15. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising anelement extending lengthwise of the shoe and attached to the face of thesole thereof, said element having a pair of base castings spaced apartlengthwise of the sole, a hanger mounting an axle disposed beneath eachcasting and having an apertured platform at one side of the axle and anarm at the opposite side, an elastic, tubular member disposed betweeneach platform and the adjacent casting, a rod passing loosely andupwardly through the aperture in said platform, through the passage ofsaid tubular member and coupled to the adjacent casting above it, saidrod having means on its lower end engaging with the under face of saidplatform for limited universal movement of said rod in the aperture ofthe platform, and compressing the platform against said member and thelatter against said casting above it, each said arm of a hanger having avertical passage therethrough, a post extending upwardly through, andshiftable endwise along said arm passage, and terminating at its upperend in a somewhat balllike head, said casting above each post having adownwardly opening socket part adjustable generally vertically thereon,and said ball-like head rocking in the socket of said socket part, meansshoe, and roller wheels carried by said axles.

' 16. A roller skate for attachmentto the bottom of a shoe, comprising abase element conned to the exposed face of the sole of a shoe,- a pairof hangers disposed in spaced tandem relation along and lengthwise ofthe under face of said base element, each hanger having a body `mountingan axle disposed crosswise of the length of the shoe and having an armand an apertured platform extending in opposite directions from theaxle, one forwardly and one rearwardly, an elastic, tubular memberdisposed between each platform and the base element, a rod passingloosely and upwardly through the aperture in said platform, through saidelastic member, and couped to said base element, said rod having meanson its lower end engaging with the under face of said platform forlimited universal movement of the rod in the aperture of said platform,and compressing said platform `against said elastic member and confiningthe latter against the under face of said base element, each said arm ofa hanger having a vertical passage therethrough, a post disposed in andrelatively shiftable along said vertical arm passage, said post at itsupper end and said base element having a universal rocking contact whichis selectively shiftable vertically on the base element, means on saidpost and above and engaging with said arm to limit relative movement ofsaid arm along said post toward said shoe, and roller wheels carried bysaid axles.

17. A roller skate for attachment to the bottom of a shoe, comprising abase element conned to the exposed face of the sole of a shoe, a pair ofhangers disposed in spaced tandem relation along and lengthwise of theunder face of said base element, each hanger having a body mounting anaxle disposed crosswise of the length of the shoe and having an arm andan apertured platform extending in opposite directions from the axle,one forwardly and one rearwardly, an elastic, tubular member disposedbetween each platform and the base element, a rod passing loosely andupwardly through the aperture in said platform, through said elasticmember, and

coupled to said base element, said rod havingl means on its lower endengaging with the under face of said platform for limited universalmovement of the rod in the aperture of said platform, and compressingsaid platform against said elastic member and conning the latter againstthe under face of said base element, an upstanding post slidinglytelescoping with said arm for generally vertical movement thereon, saidbase element having, on its lower face, a vertically adjustable part,said last named part and the upper end of said post having a universalrocking contact, enabling rocking of said post relative to said baseelement, means on said post and en-V gaging with the upper face of saidarm to limit relative movement of said arm and post in a directiontoward said base element, and roller wheels carried by said axles.

18. A roller skate for attachment to a shoe having a sole with an archbetween its heel portion and its portion under the ball of the foot,which comprises a fiat body of sheet metal of approximately the lengthof the sole, having its opposite side edges flanged upwardly from theportion engaging with the ball of the foot rearwardly to its rear end,the free edges of the side flanges fitting the bottom face of the soleand following the 11 contour of the arch and the sole to the rear of thearch, to provide al light weight, rigid body on which the shoe may besupported, and rolling elements secured to the plate at its under facein tandem arrangement forwardly and rearwardly.

CARL EINAR SWENSSON.

REFERENCES CITED Number l2 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date GriffithsNov. 3, 1885 -Ruel Jan. 17, 1899 Daverkosen et a1. Apr. 1, 1924 WinslowJune 30, 1925 Davis June 12, 1928 Goldenberg July 2, 1940 Ware Feb. 25,1941 Martinec Dec. 15, 1942

